Your Hit Parade
by Takun18
Summary: A oneshot centered around the optional Urssa Caves temple, where Fayt and the person you paired him with have a scene. Fayt x Nel.


When you finish Star ocean: Til the End of Time, you unlock a bonus dungeon. Why do it? Because it's fun! Because you face the alternate costumed multiplayers skins of the 2 people you left behind in the game. Finally, you play again Fayt aaaand... it's up to you. Whoever you paired him with at the end. It's like a bonus.

I made mine Fayt/Nel. When I beat it in the game, I couldn't get over how they talked like a married couple. But anyway, enough about that. Just keep it in mind if your still playing, needing an excuse to go finish that final boss, or do a certain task.

I don't own Star Ocean: Til The End Of Time. Square Enix does. Square Enix also owns Final Fantasy and the Fullmetal Alchemist games.

... Lucky sods.

_Your Hit Parade_

by Ta-kun

Fayt eased himself down on the dusty stone step, breath hissing from him as he leaned back against a pillar and relaxed. Beside him, Nel kneeled down and sat on a higher step, her blades clattering on her back. Uncharacteristicly, at that - Nel was a master at being quiet: stealth could have been her middle name. Nel Stealth Zelpher. It had a ring to it. But for the time being, she was too exhausted and too, well, not shocked, but indeed shaken, to care. Nel wondered briefly at _her_ name. If it was Zelpher too, and if it did, it wouldn't surprise her in the least.

Fayt refused to say anything. Like Nel, he was making more than enough noise just from his heavy breathing. His three middle knuckles rubbed his leg through the thick padded slops he wore. He stiffened and gave a sharp intake of air as he massaged the spot where the sword hit. _His_ sword. His own, orichalcum infused Mythril sword. Fayt was positive that if he wanted to, he could strip enough of the clothing away and press his own blade to his leg and see the bruise match perfectly.

Nel for her part was mostly untouched. Nothing physical at all, with the minor exception of her even hair was now uneven, her twin's blades had neatly cut part of her left bangs off, giving her flame-colored hair a messy look. Of course, had Nel not ducked when she did, the neat cut would have surely been through her neck instead. Such things were common in the day of the life of the Crimson Blades. Being almost killed by beheading, that is. Being almost killed by yourself, now, theres a different story.

It had all started of course, with the Urssa Caves temple. A legendary place were "All who entered were never heard from again" or words to that effect, at least.

Imagine the surprise on the groups faces as the temple's intricate layout, designed to keep all outsiders inside, was something you could probably find on the back of a cereal box at breakfast. Not to mention solve before the time you swollowed the milk from your bowl.

Imagine the surprise when their reward was a pleasant looking reflective pool, set in a stone pedestal.

Imagine the shock when out of the water came Albel, crouching at the top of the stairs, snarling. At least, it looked like Albel, but he was different. He was Albel, yes, no doubt, the same person they had left behind on Elicoor II, but this, this was a different person all the same. Like a twin, identical with all but minor differences. His hair was a new, lighter color, his clothes a different shape and style. And, like Fayt was to him, he only recognised them as people that reminded him of ones he knew.

It was the most bizare thing to see this Albel the Wicked regard them as almost-strangers before attacking, his reasoning was, for him, just. They looked like "them", the maggots he knew. They looked stupid and weak, and without hesitating a moment longer, he had pounced. And finally, when Fayt, Nel and Maria defeated him, he vanished as if he had never existed, the sparkling water he had appeared from rippling faintly.

From there it was both new and expected when again, by the time they had reached another identical pool, they met none other than the twelve year-old Menodix flirt himself, Roger S. Huxley. It was disturbing though to see him wearing a cave-man like tiger skin shawl and bright, messy red hair. It was really the same Roger they knew: bright, eager, and slightly confused. In his mind, he was still playing with his rival Menodix friend in matches of strength they called "Real Man Contests". While Fayt and his crew did seem to pass as recognisable, it wasn't strong enough to stop him. With a yell and a wave of his axe, Roger charged.

But like most things in life, it came in three's, and not long after Psudo Roger did they come to another pedestal, and like most things in life, the greatest surprise was left for last. Out of the reflecting pool came none other than Fayt. Brown haired, dull color clothes, plain looking and just as confused. Well, with the minor exception that he didn't pause to wonder about the situation before accusing his blue-headed conterpart of being a look-alike.

And if that wasn't enough, who should appear behind the plain-looking Fayt but the one person that should have been both the most and the least expected - Nel. Like all the others before them, she seemed to be a polar opposite to her real-life "sister", at least physically. Her cherry-red hair was brown and her dark clothes were a crisp white.

But beyond that, beyond all reason, it still wasn't the tip of the ice berg. No, the bigger surprise was when the Pedestal Fayt and Nel turned to each other.. and started talking like a married couple.

"I still don't know how they did this." 'Nel' said, shaking her head.

"Well, I think I remember Tynave and Farleen telling us to 'enjoy our time together'.. and then.. I don't know." 'Fayt' offered, scratching his cheek.

"I think they gave us a sleeping drought, Fayt. You know, for this little.. 'Vacation'."

From there the strange Fayt and Nel discussed everything, how Nel was a work-a-holic. How Fayt worried over her which in turn made her depressed. And how they had promised each other to try harder in their relationship. The pair then sized up the dumb, blue and red haired "look-alikes" and promised to talk more after taking care of them, drawing their weapons and flying down the steps.

And now, the battle over, Fayt looked onto the sand-like floor, the imprints of knees and a body left behind from where their attacks once were, one of them craddling the other as they faded from sight, both beaten. Mirage and Maria had long since ushered the others out of the temple-esque room, leaving the pair to lick their wounds and think things through. Which is exactly what they were doing - neither had broken the silence around them. That is, until...

"He was right."

Nel looked over at Fayt, eager to do away with the mounting tension, but patient enough for him to finish.

"About what?"

"You. You DO work too much."

Nel abruptly narrowed her eyes, looking off to her other side where her twin's blades had lay once before.

"She had a point too, you know. What else am I suppossed to do, hm?"

"Well, from the sound of it, she was doing the same thing.. where-ever it is she's.. was... doing that. And remember what she said?"

Nel had, in truth, remembered everything she said as clear and precise as it had been told. She was not, however, going to bite his bait.

"Which part? She said a fair bit.. and I'd like to point out I don't worry as much as that, either, if that is what your insinuating."

Fayt shook his head, shifting positions on the stairs so he could rest easier without putting all of his weight on the stone steps under him.

"No, about Tynave and Farleen."

Here, Nel looked back at him, a single eyebrow arched as he calmly stared back.

"What about Tynave and Farleen?"

"Well, sounds like all of her work didn't help her either if she couldn't stop those two from knocking her out...

Nel's eyes narrowed again, her intimidating glare slipping into place. Fayt regarded her casually before looking away to the other side, grinning as he heard her sniff in defense.

"I don't work any more than I am required to."

Here, Fayt's grin slipped and he stared up at the caves ceiling.

"The day after everything happened... I came looking for you, remember? I found you, Tynave and Farleen in Aquaria castle's garden, and you three were training. It was them against you..."

Nel bowed her head, slightly ashamed. She wasn't so much regretful of sparring with the two younger women, no. That was how she dealt with things: physically. But more so, it helped re-afirm everything for her. It was a minor cluture shock going from Elicoor II to "Moonbase", let alone destroying your maker and almost losing everything you had ever known. Training with Tynave and Farleen echoed the words "Everything is back to normal." Until Fayt had walked up, and Nel had never done a better job of making someone feel un-noticed.

After all, the opposite to love wasn't hatred, it was indifference. Nel blinked her eyes a few times before looking over at the dishelved blue-haired teen. She had made him felt like a bothersome distraction, despite the fact he had saved her numerous times, fought along side her in a war and chose to come back with her to Aquaria.

"And what's your advice for me then, Fayt?"

Fayt continued to stare up at the rocky surface, eyelids slipping half shut. He looked so simple and complacent that for a moment, Nel was fooled into believing she had perhaps asked thedumbest man in both Kingdoms.

"If you spend all your time doing one thing, even if it feels regular and safe, then you miss out on alot more. Seems to me that there's always something bigger and better out there for anyone willing to stand up and take it."

Nel didn't need to mull over his words: she took it offensively. Fayt was insinuating that she was a coward. Yes, that had to be it. What other conclusion was there? For the most minute of moments, she toyed with the idea of taking off part of Fayt's own azure hair, to match her own lopsided cut. The thought was banished from her mind however - such petty ways were not her style.

'Besides...' she thought. 'Let him keep that mop he calls hair. It'll only bug him when he realises it will impare his vision on the battlefield.'

Indeed, at that moment, Fayt blew a stray lock of hair away from his eye, sighing quietly.

The image flooded Nel's sense's. It hadn't been the first time, nor would she believe it to be the last. He did something physical to her; he had been for some time. But his words were still lingering in her ears. At that moment, a higher part of her mind sent a realisation to her: One that had nothing to do with spying, or training, or fighting, or war, or any of the usual thoughts that filled her head. Here was Fayt. Not even twenty years old. A mere student-gone-hero. A person who had challenged their very Creator with unquestioning determination. A person who had gone from studies to vacation to war.

And then, there was herself. She couldn't, nor wouldn't, say she had done any less. But when the fighting was over, she was eager to return to her regular life. She had tasted the intoxication of adventure that Fayt had, but when it was done she was happy to say "no-more" and call it quits. What was her comforting thought in the back of her mind as she stood in the neon city of Gemity? Clair, Tynave and Farleen. While she breathed the recycled air of star city Moonbase, she would think of afterwards, returning home to report her sightings and return to her training.

And here was Fayt. Nel had asumed he had fought to return to his own place in the universe. Some four-wall house and a warm bed. Studies. Fun. Regular life as usual. She had asumed once it was over, Fayt would have sighed, grinned and said "It was a blast". Instead, he chose to stay in a world which was alien to him. Elicoor had accepted him, of course, but Nel compared it to the Diplo, to HIS time and HIS space. Elicoor was, as Cliff had put it, a backwater planet.And shewas open minded enough to agree. And all the same, he had chosen to stay. He wouldn't be going back to his safe and familiar bed, like she had. Nor would he be going back with his friend Sophia or his mother.

Was that why she had cut him off before, back at the castle? Because she had known then that he was braver than she was? Because she was afraid to see him again? Because, maybe, why else would he have been there than to say goodbye? She didn't want him to say goodbye. There, she admitted it, to herself if nothing else. She wanted the curse that was Fayt Leingod to stay, so he could do these damnable things he kept doing whenever he was around her. The awkwardness. The short answers. The sheer need to do something.She enjoyed it. She loved it. And that was when her mind broke. It had strayed too far into personal depths. And something, somewhere inside her, demanded action to take place.

From his seat, Fayt saw Nel calmly stand. His muscles ached and simply didn't want to move, yet she had managed to gracefully glide upwards. Did she simply ignore pain? Or was he just worse for wear after the fight? Either way, he felt a small curse word in his mouth. Nel hadn't spoken a word since he had "advised" her, and now she was obviously ready to go. And obviously, he didn't want to just yet. So, when Nel stopped at the bottom of the staircase and turned to face him, the last thing he expected was for her to lean forward against him. Then again, she was probably going to tick him off again in that low, dangerous voice she had. Did she know that these days, she was looking far less dangerous and far more sultry when she did it? Probably not...

"What I want..." she started, presing a fingertip against his forehead. "Is something.." The finger moved sideways, catching more of his blue hair and pushing it aside. "That spends too much time thinking about others when he should be thinking about himself and whats in front of him."

Nel slid her hand over his bangs, pressing it against the column behind him. Her free hand tugged her scarf loose, letting it fall to reveal her whole face clearly, before placing it on his bruised chest where it lightly rested. Her eyes were narrowed, but not dangerously. They were challanging, defying, playful. To Fayt, it came a second later. _She was flirting with him._ And she was good. The object of his affection overwhelmed him and his arm came up around her lithe waist automatically. His other hand fell across the back of her neck, pulling.

"That's because I don't need to think about what's in front of me. I made up my mind along time ago. It's whyI came back here..."

Nel's neck slipped away from his hand as she leaned forward, pressing her lips roughly against his. Her hands bunched his shirt beneath him as he pulled her closer. Nel Zelpher lay on top, pressing herself against him and had been the one to intiate the kiss. Fayt Leingod lay beneather her, pulling her closer, deepening it. It was familiar. Too familair. Thing's had changed now, in a good way. Something clicked inside them, something that made it all so natural, and they both relaxed, taking their time.

When they finally parted for air, their eyes were opening slowly. Their clothes were wrinkled and dishelved, but neither of them blushed. They wern't embarrassed. It was too natural, too.. _right_. They had gotten what they wanted, finally. Something that was more than just an air of calm, or sanctuary. Completeness. Fayt pulled Nel closer, embracing her, and Nel smiled a small smile.

"... And I don't think thing's through all the time.. do I?"

"Oh shush."

"Okay."

Fayt grinned and leaned forward, brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth, listening to her give the barest sigh before she tilted towards him, returning the affection.

_fin_


End file.
